Page 252 of The Devil's Fire

“Are you sure you want to do this? I can still find someone else.” I asked her one last time to make sure she was truly fine with it.

“I want to.” Althaia said, looking determined to help.

“This is not a normal room. We call it ‘The Chamber of Torture’, and you will see many weapons and tools present.” I observed her facial expression, but she gave a small nod, not showing any sign of discomfort.

“Okay.”

“Althaia, if you get the slightest bit uncomfortable, you’ll tell me right away.” I told her firmly.

“Don’t worry, I will.” She gave me a reassuring smile. I let out a sigh before kissing the top of her head.

I opened the door, making sure I held her close to me to give her a sense of comfort. My men gave her a nod in greeting, and she glanced around before her gaze landed on the two tied up in the chair.

Althaia looked at me, and I gave her a nod. I had already explained to her on the way what I wanted to get out of them.

She started talking to them, and they eyed her as she spoke in their language. One even let out a grin and said something back to her. I watched her facial expression closely, noticing a slight frown as she reacted to what he said.

“What did he say?” I asked her when she rolled her eyes at him.

“… He called me a bitch.”

“That piece of shit.” I nodded to Giovanni, who held the aluminum bat. I wanted to keep it minimal with her present. “Althaia, don’t look.”

“No, I want to watch.” She insisted.

Giovanni’s powerful swing of the bat struck the bastard's kneecap with full force. The room filled with his cries of pain, and he jerked around in the chair in agony. I glanced at her and caught a glimpse of a subtle smile forming at the corner of her mouth. I couldn't help but smirk at her reaction, noticing the twinkle in her eyes that mirrored my own delight.

Althaia started questioning the other one.

“He says they know what their fate is going to be in the end, whether or not they talk. I tossed him the choice between a quick, painless way and a drawn-out torture session.”

I slightly raised a brow that she was taking control and negotiating with them. I glanced back at the scumbag, and he looked to be in thought. I let her do what she wanted as she talked to them again.

“He’s saying they have nothing to lose.”

“Nothing, you say?” A malicious smile crept onto my lips as I looked at them. “We’ll see.” I nodded to Luca and turned Althaia away from them, covering her ears.

Luca pulled the head of their spokesperson from the bag and displayed it to them. Their voices filled the room with horror, shouting as they stared at the severed head.

Althaia was startled by their reaction. She held onto my wrists with her eyes narrowing in confusion. I kept her in place, her ears covered, until Luca concealed the head again.

I spun her back around as Antonio rolled a video of their families; the ones they thought they hid so damn well from me. In this Devil’s realm, there was no secret dark enough to elude my grasp.

“What is it?” Althaia asked me quietly.

“A video of their families.” I said, watching the color draining from their faces. “Tell them they will taste the same fate.”

Althaia translated with her head held high and a demeanor that left no room for doubt about her resolve, and pride surged through me as I observed her.

“They don’t know who ordered the kill, but it’s someone who has a lot of power. All communication happened through untraceable calls. They were provided with a phone and were instructed how to use it to orchestrate the setup...” He spoke rapidly, and the more Althaia listened, the tighter her hands clenched into fists.

It all made sense now with the phone call Jacinta received. Although she never answered, the brief five-second ring was sufficient for Raffaele to pinpoint their location. They were aware we were keeping an eye on her, and they exploited it to divert us, ensuring we couldn’t reach them in time.

Althaia swallowed hard before talking.

“They were instructed to specifically target my mom, with the freedom to do as they pleased with me… on the condition that my pregnancy be terminated.”

“That son of a bitch!” Giovanni was about to swing the bat again, but Althaia stopped him.

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